Beech-maple mesic forest on the midslope of The Pinnacle in Washington County, NY

Gregory J. Edinger

System:TerrestrialSubSystem:Forested Uplands

State Protection:
Not Listed
Federal Protection:
Not Listed

State Rarity Rank:S4

A State Rarity Rank of S4 means: Apparently secure in New York State.

Global Rarity Rank:G4

A Global Rarity Rank of G4 means: Apparently secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.

Did you know?
American witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) is a common shrub found in beech-maple mesic forests. It was used by native peoples for thousands of years and later by American settlers. Although witch hazel is not as popular as it was in the 1900s, it is still used to prevent infection from cuts, soothe insect bites and sunburn, relieve pain and swelling, reduce acne, tone skin, and as an aftershave.

There are several hundred to a few thousand occurrences statewide. Some documented occurrences have good viability and many are protected on public land or private conservation land. This community has statewide distribution and includes several very large, high quality, old-growth examples. The current trend of this community is probably declining due to moderate and imminent threats related to beech bark disease and development pressure.